Discussion Papers 2008.
Visions and Strategies in the Carpathian Area (VASICA) 76-84. p.
10 Transport in the Carpathian Area
10.1 Situation and problems
The Carpathian region’s transport has been affected by the changes of the political
and economic system in the following ways and intensity:
− Of the main railway lines and roads the overwhelming part of resources has
been allocated to the development of international corridors (Hel-
sinki/PEN/TEN and partly TINA) (Figure 15).
− The Bratislava–Zilina–Košice section of the 5/a corridor is under
preparation. A motorway has been built from Bratislava until Zilina in the
Valley of River Vah and the section between Low-Tatra and High-Tatra
(with a tunnel in Branisko) will also be completed soon. A significant
progress has been made on the railway line of the same direction (some of its
parts are suitable for maintaining a speed of 140–160 km/h. The line is
electrified with double tracks) and the intercity train service between the two
biggest cities of Slovakia has intensive passenger traffic.
The 4th corridor between Berlin and Istanbul connects Germany with one of its
biggest market and labour force source in Europe. Two parts of this corridor are
crossing the Carpathian region. On the Bratislava–Komárno–Budapest railway sec-
tion the quasi high-speed train service can be introduced in 2007 and some sections
of the Bratislava–Nitra–Zvolen dual carriageway have already been completed.
The other planned part of the corridor is crossing South-Transylvania (along the
Maros Valley) through the South-Carpathians reaching the Black Sea at Constanta.
The motorway is crossing the Carpathians at Turnu Rosu while the corridor railway
line at Predeal Pass. The Romanian section of the 4th corridor is under preparation
and its railway line is undergoing a partial modernisation.
The M3 motorway in Northern Hungary is a part of the 5th corridor. It has
practically been completed until Debrecen/Nyíregyháza area and its continuation
towards Carpathian-Ukraine is in planning process. Although there have been dec-
larations on building it further until Kiev, it is doubtful whether this project can be
completed.
The Danube waterway is the 7th corridor but its navigation with ships above
the capacity of EU economical threshold value (1350–0500 tons) called “Euro-
pean” ships is quite problematic on the Bratislava–Vác–Budapest section due to the
low water level in the end-summer and autumn seasons. Although maintaining the
continuity of navigation on the Slovakian–Austrian, Slovakian–Hungarian, Hun-
garian and Romanian Bulgarian river sections is a priority task of EU Quick Start
Programme no major steps have been done so far for the achievement of this target.
Illés, Iván : Transport in the Carpathian Area.
In: Visions and Strategies in the Carpathian Area (VASICA)
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 2008. 76-84. p. Discussion Papers, Special
TRANSPORT IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA
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Figure 15
Helsinki corridors and EU priority projects in the Carpathian area
Source: Maciej Borsa, Urbanproject (Romania).
The primary mission of corridors is providing quick transport facilities between
capital cities/big economic centres (e.g. on Prague–Bratislava–Budapest–Trieste
route) therefore they are serving as means for internal cohesion within the Euro-
pean Union as a complex system of transportation facilities providing quick access
in several sub-sectors.
There are big differences in the completion stage of these corridors which is
mostly depending on the degree of their funding. There have been spectacular im-
provements in those projects that had received heavy sums funded from national
resources and loans for implementation. (Until 2004 the EU funded the costs of
preparatory plans, feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments, and the
guarantee interest sums of loans having been disbursed by the banks of the Euro-
Illés, Iván : Transport in the Carpathian Area.
In: Visions and Strategies in the Carpathian Area (VASICA)
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 2008. 76-84. p. Discussion Papers, Special
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VISIONS AND STRATEGIES IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA (VASICA)
pean Community. However, in the future, EU member countries may receive more
significant EU grants (e.g. from Cohesion Fund).
The territorial impacts of these corridors are rather ambivalent:
These corridors are significantly contributing to the increase of the flow of
goods and labour force (and indirectly they are accelerating information and capital
flow as well). At the same time, they have a strong attractive force in their hinter-
lands generating effects of exhaustion. Along the corridors, several new plants of
innovative industries and services are built with logistic and distribution centres,
attracting the potential labour force of the skilled young generation from their hin-
terland. Agricultural production segments in their neighbourhood are producing
high quality, transport intensive, valuable products (greenhouse flower and fresh
vegetable farming, biotechnology based knowledge intensive production methods
etc.). On the other hand, what remains in the peripheral areas of corridors, it is
ageing population, critically high rate of unskilled labour force. The outmigration
of qualified population will accelerate demographic erosion both in quantitative
and qualitative aspects.
The air traffic centres of the Carpathian region, the big airports of capital cities
are located at the edge or outside the region (Vienna-Schwechat with an annual
passenger traffic of 17 million, Prague with 11 million, Budapest with 8 million,
Bucharest with 3 million, Belgrade with 1.8 million, Bratislava with 1.5 million.
Out of regional airports, the passenger traffic of Krakow and Katowice are ex-
ceeding the figure of 1 million. The annual air passenger traffic of Timisoara be-
longs into the category of 0.5–1.0 million, while of Košice and Cluj-Napoca (and
Constanta) into the 0.3–0.4 million. The annual air passenger traffic of the remain-
ing airports (Tirgu Mures, Oradea, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Bacau, Jassi, Suceava, Debre-
cen, Užgorod, Cernovitz, Posten, Sliac, Poprad-Tatry, Rzesov) is below 0.2 million
(the majority has some ten thousands only annually). A growing number of re-
gional airports are running international air services beyond the domestic ones
(mostly in the summer tourist seasons by charter flights carrying tourists into the
holiday resorts of the Mediterranean region).
Crossing the Carpathians today …
Development of the transport systems (highways, main roads, railways…) that cross the Car-
pathians could be, on one hand, of great importance for the economical growth of the new coun-
tries of the European Union and, on the other hand, a good opportunity for bettering security on
Carpathian roads and for making easier to reach areas of tourist or natural interest. In fact, divert-
ing international trade transports on the new highways of TEN Corridors could dramatically re-
duce traffic on the other roads, with great advantage for local and tourist traffic, particularly in the
mountainous districts.
By road …
Two major Corridors (number 5: line Bratislava–Zilina–Lviv, and number 6 lines Katowice–
Bielko Biala–Zilina and Katowice–Ostrava–Brno) cross the Carpathians, while other two Corri-
Illés, Iván : Transport in the Carpathian Area.
In: Visions and Strategies in the Carpathian Area (VASICA)
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 2008. 76-84. p. Discussion Papers, Special
TRANSPORT IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA
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9
dors lie respectively in the northern (number 3: line Katowice–Krakow–Lviv) and in the southern
part of the region (number 4: a line almost entirely crossing the Romanian territories of Timisoara,
Sibiu and Bucharest). They are multimodal Corridors, and the modal split is favourable to roads,
along which about 70% of goods are transported
In these Corridors technical characteristics and quality of facilities of roads are changing from
a tract to another. In fact, in a single road there are tracts that have the characteristics of an high-
way (two roadways with two/three lanes for each direction) and tracts in which there are only one
roadway, with one lane for each direction).
On a working day about 20,000–25,000 vehicles run, in the two directions, on the roads of the
two main Corridors, particularly along the lines Katowice–Bielsko–Biala–Zilina and Katowice–
Ostrava–Brno. About 20–40% of the total traffic is freight traffic. The Romanian trans-Carpathian
Corridor (route E 60: Oradea–Julia–Sibiu–Pitesti) is crossed by 15,000 vehicles per day. About
25% of the total traffic is freight traffic (see: Sectia Traffic, 2006).
This traffic runs on roads that mostly have only one lane for each direction (each 8–9 meters
wide), that cross numerous villages and towns and it is not only long-distance freight traffic but
also local and tourist traffic. A fact, clearly, that causes heavy problems to people living in the
area.
Freight traffic along Corridors 5 and 6 is progressively increasing as a consequence of the in-
creased industrialization (in large part due to automobile industries: FIAT, GM, Toyota, PSA) of
the Ostrava–Zilina–Bielsko Biala area. This forces to plan the construction of infrastructures ade-
quate to the increasing traffic, especially in the north-east/south-west directions.
Even if there is less traffic than in Corridors 5 and 6, the same problems exist for Corridor 4,
that connects Budapest with Constance (Black Sea) crossing the mountainous area of Hunedoara,
Sebes and Sibiu. These roads are absolutely inadequate to the traffic needs and have a high level
of car accidents.
In consideration of these problems and in order to ameliorate the situation of the traffic, works
are presently in progress on the two more important Corridors, number 5 and 6. They consist of
the completion of the highway Povaska–Milowka, line Bratislava–Zilina–Bielsko Biala, and of the
completion of the highways Zilina–Liskova and Vazec–Presov (in the Carpathian territory of Slo-
vakia) and Uzhorod–Kosice (in the Ukrainian–Slovak area).
Completing these traffic systems will reduce also the traffic on the nearest (very crowded)
roads as well as that of other important roads, like the Cadca–Bystrice tract, route E75, on the
Czech–Slovak pass.
Unfortunately, frequently the new highways appear to be highly disfiguring the natural scen-
ery, particularly in the areas of Breskydy Morava (Skalite), Javorniky (Bytca) and to the south of
Tatra Park
By rail…
The most important Trans-European corridors include the major railways. At present, railways
play an important role in the modal split of passenger and freight traffic, with mean quotas larger
than those, for example, of the railway lines that cross the Alps.
The more important role played by railways in the Carpathian traffic is a consequence of the
social and productive shape of the region and of the inheritance of the collectivism, typical for the
socialist countries. The new political order in the Carpathians and the opening to the market is
producing an increase in freight and passenger traffic and, as a consequence, an increased impor-
tance of road systems. However, still 30% of freight and passenger transport in the Carpathian area
is railway transport, an important quota if one considers the low quality of trains, railway stations
and so on. But passenger transport has a good standard of punctuality and reliability, especially on
double track lines at the border between Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic (Trencin–Olomouc,
Zilina–Cesky Tesin) or on the Ukrainian line Turka–Velikyi–Berenznyj–Uzhorod.
Illés, Iván : Transport in the Carpathian Area.
In: Visions and Strategies in the Carpathian Area (VASICA)
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 2008. 76-84. p. Discussion Papers, Special
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VISIONS AND STRATEGIES IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA (VASICA)
The necessity of a modal integration of transport systems, and the aim of privileging the long
distance railway transport, has caused a relevant multiplication of railway lines connected with the
newly industrialized areas and of inter-modal terminals in the Carpathian area. Consequently,
some railway stations near Carpathian mountain passes are gaining strategic importance for the
distribution of goods in the railway network. This fact, however, in many stations, for example
that of Skalite, line Zilina–Bielsko Biala, causes problems in passengers conveyance.
10.1.1 The main transport indicators of Carpathian countries
There are substantial differences among Carpathian countries in respect to transport
infrastructure and transport performance. Nevertheless, there is a common feature:
with the exception of Austria, all have to make serious efforts to comply with the
European standards (Table 7–10).
Table 7
Indicators of the road network
Country
Length of per 1000
per 1000 Length of per 1000
per km2
of which:
motorways inhabitants
km2
other
inhabitants
state roads
km 2003
roads km
Austria
1670
0.2057
19.91
105,040
12.94
1.25
…
Czech Republic
518
0.0507
6.57
127,229
12.46
1.61
54,929
Hungary
542
0.0536
5.83
160,215
15.84
1.72
30,536
Poland
405
0.0106
1.30
377,289
9.88
1.21
18,253
Romania
113
0.0052
0.47
73,061
3.37
0.31
9,182
Slovakia
313
0,0582
6.38
17,459
3,25
0,36
3,335
Source: UN ECE statistics.
Table 8
Indicators of the rail network
Country
Length
per 1000
per 1000
Standard
Double track
of railway
inhabitants
km2
gauge
network
network km
network
Austria
…
Czech Republic
9,602
0.94
121.75
9,500
1,845
Hungary
7,681
0.76
82.56
7,432
1,292
Poland
20,665
0.54
66.09
19,748
8,896
Romania
11,077
0.51
46.47
10,946
2,965
Slovakia
3,675
0.68
74.95
3,507
1,020
Source: UN ECE statistics.
Illés, Iván : Transport in the Carpathian Area.
In: Visions and Strategies in the Carpathian Area (VASICA)
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 2008. 76-84. p. Discussion Papers, Special
TRANSPORT IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA
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Table 9
Indicators of tkm performance of road and rail transport
Country
Road transport
Rail transport
million
per 1000 of which:
export-
transit
million
per 1000
tkm per- inhabitants national
import
crossing
tkm per- inhabitants
formance
formance
Austria
18,141
2,23
12487
4981
673
16879
2,08
Czech Republic
46,564
4,56
17395
26022
3147
15862
1,55
Hungary
18,199
1,80
10669
7137
393
8028
0,79
Poland
78,160
2,05
42379
34740
1041
49595
1,30
Romania
30,854
1,42
13637
17146
71
15039
0,69
Slovakia
16,859
3,13
5246
8931
2682
10113
1,88
Source: UN ECE statistics.
Table 10
Indicators of passenger traffic
Country
Railway
Number of
Number of
per 100
Increase, %
passenger km-s passenger cars passenger cars
inhabitants
2003/1993
(million)
1993
2003
2003
Austria
3,367,626
4,054,000
49.94
120.4
Czech Republic
174,179
2,833,143
3,706,012
36.29
130.8
Hungary
159,871
2,093,529
2,777,000
27.45
132.6
Poland
283,359
6,770,557
11,243,800
29.43
166.1
Romania
94,810
1,793,054
3,087,600
14.24
172.2
Slovakia
51274
994,933
1,356,200
25.21
136.3
Source: UN ECE statistics.
Illés, Iván : Transport in the Carpathian Area.
In: Visions and Strategies in the Carpathian Area (VASICA)
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 2008. 76-84. p. Discussion Papers, Special
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VISIONS AND STRATEGIES IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA (VASICA)
10.2 Policy recommendations for transport development
for Carpathian countries
Policy recommendations for transport development for Carpathian countries are
divided according to local, regional and international transport.
10.2.1 Recommendations for local transport
Accessing highland settlements (villages, forest farms, mining sites and recrea-
tional villages) has only one real alternative today (and possibly in the future): It is
the network of public (and partially private) roads with technical parameters
adapted to current traffic situations and providing easy access to main roads. Al-
though local stone for road building can easily and cheaply accessed from a short
distance, this has no relevance for the costs of road building as the building costs of
road structures necessary for overcoming the slopes of mountains are increasing
the total costs of road building to several times, compared to the costs in plain ar-
eas. Due to the expansion of motorized road transportation, the number of tradi-
tional local instruments of wood transportation (long lumber slides, cable ropeways
and narrow-gauge wood transportation railways) has strongly diminished. However
the quality of roads, especially in the mountains of Romania and Poland is very
poor and the asphalt cover of roads has been strongly damaged.
The assessment of the real demands for mountain side-roads (including the fu-
ture demands as well) should carefully consider the local environment with special
regard to meeting the requirements of environmental sustainability.
Under the conditions of mountainous surface and low population density:
− A denser and better quality road network is needed in areas exposed to big
tourist traffic but the impacts of its higher environmental load should also be
foreseen (including the building of a bicycle road network which is consid-
ered as an acceptable infrastructure of ecotourism). Strict limitations should
be applied regarding cross-motorcycling and quad cycling which heavily
damage forest plants and soil (accelerating the erosion process as well).
These unfriendly for nature activities generate big noise, disturb and scare
away wild animals and tourists searching for peace and quiet. Therefore, they
should be permitted only at a few places.
− Motorcycles should be banned from tourist paths and walkways. Truck traffic
on one-lane roads should be limited in time for some hours’ period only (en-
suring just the provision of local shops with the essential goods for tourists
and locals).
Illés, Iván : Transport in the Carpathian Area.
In: Visions and Strategies in the Carpathian Area (VASICA)
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 2008. 76-84. p. Discussion Papers, Special
TRANSPORT IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA
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− Car traffic and road usage should be minimized in the territory of wild forests
which are valuable for the ecosystem and are still ‘untouched’.
− The still operating mini railways in forests should be preserved because their
passengers enjoying the beauties of nature and they are less harmful for the
environment than any other means of transport. In places where tourists have
great affinity for exploring nature in such a way and relatively small ground-
work is needed for the building of a narrow-gauge railway line, the construc-
tion of even further forest mini-train services seems advisable. For exploring
those parts of national parks that are open to the public, battery powered
electrical mini- and middle-size buses (operated by light sulphur/sodium
batteries) are the most suitable means of transport.
10.2.2 Recommendations for regional and interregional transport in the region
Transport policy objectives in respect to connections between provincial cities and
in urban agglomerations should be the preservation of the present role of railway
services or at least halting the radically dropping tendency of their use. (The use of
small – even one carriage – trains with scheduled e.g. hourly, two hourly services
is recommended. It can reduce the costs below the present level.)
Bus services in areas with low passenger traffic should be reorganised by intro-
ducing flexible, demand-oriented bus services with call-centre based minibuses or
bigger share taxis following the example of the systems implemented in the Italian
Apennines. In short-distance cargo delivery the use of railway can be profitable
only in exceptional cases (e.g. the delivery of bulked mining products into power
plants) in other cases cargo transportation by trucks and lorries has more reality. At
certain places rafts and small ships may used as alternative means of timber trans-
portation. (For example national transport concepts mentioning Upper-Tisza, Her-
nad, and also on the lower sections of Vah and Hron rivers as potential places).
In respect to domestic passenger transport between regional centres, the use of
fast, modern and comfortable IC train services should get a priority. Cargo can be
delivered by fast light trains. For faster access of cities, dual carriageways or mo-
torways should be built and air taxi services should be launched.
10.2.3 Recommendations for international (cross border) transport in the region
The international traffic of the majority of countries in the Carpathian region is
carried out not in the high mountain areas, rather in ‘mountain slope’ zone or in the
basins.
Illés, Iván : Transport in the Carpathian Area.
In: Visions and Strategies in the Carpathian Area (VASICA)
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 2008. 76-84. p. Discussion Papers, Special
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VISIONS AND STRATEGIES IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA (VASICA)
Unfortunately, the number of railway border crossings and the number of road
border stations across the Carpathians is still very low. These borders are already
borders inside the EU (since the 21st of December 2007 even within the Schengen
zone). One of the main priorities should be the improvement of the present cross-
Carpathian lines and the establishing of new ones.
Considering the intensity and the structural features of international traffic be-
tween cities, the Carpathian region:
− should be connected with a greater number of directions and with higher
intensity into the system of international rail services (Eurocity, Euronight,
IC and express trains).
− Air connection should be established with a wider circle of cities.
− Carefully planned complex systems of high-speed road should be planned
consisting of dual carriageways and motorways oriented towards such direc-
tions that are not disturbing seriously any country’s national interests.
Unfortunately, the proposed network of highways and high-speed railway lines,
prepared in the framework of the TINA project, is up to this day not sufficiently
coordinated between the individual countries, or with the TEN networks of former
EU member states. E.g. there are still undecided alternatives of road and railway
tracks between Poland and the Czech Republic (or between Austria and Germany
on the one hand and the Czech Republic on the other). The question should be also
reconsidered: What is the more efficient way of transport between Poland and Slo-
vakia: direct crossing the Carpathians, or through the Czech Republic, using the
Silesian Gate’s well established infrastructure?
Uncertainty is revealed also in the new and new ideas concerning the track of
the cross-Romanian international motorway to Western Europe. The original line
was the Southern line through Timisoara–Nadlac. The next one was the Central
track through Brasov–Cluj-Napoca and Oradea. Recently there emerged new ideas
about a Northern line Chisinau–Iasi–Satu Mare–Oradea. It is clear that different
regional political and economic interests are behind these different variants. But
too many project ideas are delaying the implementation of the single one which is
realistic.